Ron Rash Show

"A Rash of Stories"

Currently touring... Your place next?

'A Rash of Stories' is Consummate Storytelling'

With the writings of a widely acclaimed novelist, poet and short story author, an able interpreter and transmitter of those words, an appropriate musician to accompany and bridge the presentations and a sold-out house for a benefit performance to aid a good cause, the chances are that those lucky enough to get tickets for opening night at North Carolina Stage Company would have a rewarding time... Smith has chosen to tell a range of Ron Rash's short stories, and each is a charming tale....ranging from tender and touching to ridiculously funny and guffaw-producing, at the finale.

I've been pinching myself ever since Ron Rash said "Have at 'em." The same Ron Rash who's "gone global" with major films made from

his novels Serena and The World Made Straight. I had permission to adapt and perform his stories! Well, Jeff & I explored 5 volumes of stories, finding tenderness and humor as well as suspense. We never read anything funnier than "The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth" from his first collection. Now this story & 2 others from our show are in a new anthology: "Something Rich and Strange."Such a variety we had never expected!

A packed high school auditorium had sat riveted to his suspense story "Lincolnites" as part of our "Civil War Cameos!" That's when we first knew the power of his stories on stage! It was further confirmed at the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival and at the recent run at Asheville's North Carolina Stage.

The latest thrill was having Ron and his family in attendance at Beaufort, South Carolina's Pat Conroy Literary Festival. He made us

feel real good about it.

On our current roster, in addition to "Lincolnites":

"Burning Bright" from the collection with that title

"The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth" another title story

"Casualties and Survivors" from the collection with that title

"Night Hawks" from "Nothing Gold can Stay"

"Three A.M. and the Stars Were Out" from "Nothing Gold can Stay"

"Pemberton's Bride" (This was Serena) from "Chemistry and Other Stories"

"Speckled Trout" (forerunner of the novel & film The World Made Straight).